EPTDoes math make sense? - Page 2
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Hypnosis
United States2061 Posts
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Hippopotamus
1914 Posts
One example would be a field. You could leave it simple as a formula, that given x,y,z you will get some kind of a,b,c. But if you call those a,b,c acceleration and you call x,y,z position and say that all these infinite numbers make up a "field" it feels better. It's just a bunch of words, but these words feel good. This appears to go on until quantum mechanics. I think many have heard some of the greatest physicists say quantum mechanics makes no sense. It works, it's accurate, it's true but somehow those people make a distinction between that and say, thermodynamics. | ||
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Kwidowmaker
Canada978 Posts
There are insects with a dormancy cycle that lasts a prime number of years. This has been beneficial to them because while they sleep for 16 years then wake up, breed, and go back to sleep on the 17th, allowing them to avoid parasites. Because the prime number is unfactorable, any parasite would have to have a 17 year dormancy cycle as well, and be in the same phase to prey on these insects. The whole idea behind math isn't 2 + 2 = 4, it's proving theorems from small building blocks. It is incredibly abstract, but it has had quite a good track record thus far in explaining phenomena. Edit: Sorry, I've ignored answering whether math makes sense. The answer depends entirely on what you mean by "makes sense." If you mean something that you can understand, math may not make sense, especially in the more esoteric disciplines. It is logically rigourous though, so you won't run into any nonsense in math. | ||
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StRyKeR
United States1739 Posts
As an analogy, it's kind of like always reading about how to ride a bike and doing all sorts of research on how to ride one but when you KNOW how to ride a bike, no explanation is needed. No words can describe that feeling of KNOWing. For me, that's kind of how certain math concepts feel. Makes total sense. I think everyone will find some source of "sense" that makes most sense to them to draw analogies from. Often, it's not math. When thinking about doing something new like snowboarding you'll probably draw analogies from skateboarding if you ever skateboarded because skateboarding is what makes sense. If even skateboarding doesn't make sense, you'll have to make do with your experience in walking, because it's the lowest level activity that makes sense without you even having to question why. Different people with different persuasions will find different sources of sense. I know that when I'm thinking of writing an essay I have to draw analogies from math because math is where I get my source of sense. Yes -- I think math (basically, extremely logically) when I write essays as a result. But I know that there are essay-writing beasts that will just, on one go and without thinking too much, write an essay that would run laps around my essay. For them, writing just makes sense, and I'm sure they don't find themselves asking why. They probably use that as a source of sense and everything that doesn't make sense to them (maybe math) they will try to connect to writing. | ||
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alphafuzard
United States1610 Posts
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LuckyFool
United States9015 Posts
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4thHatchery
Finland125 Posts
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PH
United States6173 Posts
It was later revised by Russell's ramification theory or something, which I haven't read yet, but that was dismissed as being too convoluted and in the end can't be natural logic. Currently, everything is based on modern set theory, but even that's fundamentals are dubious in that there is the possibility of psychologistic input in it or something... I dunno, I'm taking a class on this now, and I'm having a hard time keeping up...which is probably mainly due to Frege's mediocre writing style, and the terrible translations that I'm being forced to read as a result. But in any case, in short, arithmetic and even philosophical logic has no purely logical/rational basis. However, there is currently a neo-Fregean movement that is seeking to re-explore his goals and to try to fix that fundamental flaw in his theories. I was depressed for two days after learning that...): | ||
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Not_Computer
Canada2277 Posts
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alphafuzard
United States1610 Posts
On February 26 2009 15:43 4thHatchery wrote: That was Hardy talking about number theory, I think. Hardy rings a bell | ||
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economist_
Vietnam719 Posts
It depends on your sense in math that it makes sense or not e.g (this is from a popular joke), asking 2+2 to different people you may get different answers depending on their "sense" . mathematician: 4 + ridiculous look accountant: 4 +/- x percent economist: everything you want it to equal | ||
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pavement ist rad
United States226 Posts
Applied math is a branch of math that has real world application, and is motivated by physics, engineering, etc. Pure math, on the other hand, explores mathematical ideas simply for the beauty of understanding it. If you approach those problems you listed (prime numbers, polynomials, etc), as you would approach something like art, you might see it differently. Mathematical proofs have a certain aesthetic, and I think those who study math see the elegance in them. | ||
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Zortch
Canada635 Posts
On February 26 2009 16:35 pavement ist rad wrote: I think you don't understand pure math. Applied math is a branch of math that has real world application, and is motivated by physics, engineering, etc. Pure math, on the other hand, explores mathematical ideas simply for the beauty of understanding it. If you approach those problems you listed (prime numbers, polynomials, etc), as you would approach something like art, you might see it differently. Mathematical proofs have a certain aesthetic, and I think those who study math see the elegance in them. QFT Also, there is definetly mathematical intuition. I'm sure everyone has some on some level. For a simple example, if you multiply two big numbers togeher your intuition tells you that you will get a bigger one. You can see why it should be that way, but oly because you have multiplied a lot of numbers. If you later work with other mathematical objects you can develop intuition about them too. | ||
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Piste
6183 Posts
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2goons1probe
United States26 Posts
![[image loading]](http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/purity.png) | ||
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koreakool
United States334 Posts
On February 26 2009 16:55 2goons1probe wrote: haha nice I know a friend who is deciding on whether to major in sociology or electrical engineering i might show her that comic strip =D | ||
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PH
United States6173 Posts
On February 26 2009 16:40 Zortch wrote: QFT Also, there is definetly mathematical intuition. I'm sure everyone has some on some level. For a simple example, if you multiply two big numbers togeher your intuition tells you that you will get a bigger one. You can see why it should be that way, but oly because you have multiplied a lot of numbers. If you later work with other mathematical objects you can develop intuition about them too. Doesn't that scare you though? I don't know much about math, but I like to think that math, considering what it is, has a logical basis free of psychologicism...to think otherwise is frightening in its implications, imo. T_T | ||
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Maenander
Germany4926 Posts
On February 26 2009 16:40 Zortch wrote: QFT Also, there is definetly mathematical intuition. I'm sure everyone has some on some level. For a simple example, if you multiply two big numbers togeher your intuition tells you that you will get a bigger one. You can see why it should be that way, but oly because you have multiplied a lot of numbers. If you later work with other mathematical objects you can develop intuition about them too. I wouldn´t call it intuition, that´s just how our brain works, we compute these things subconciously. Some famous mathematicians commented on their thought process similarly. Consciousness is just a (small) part of our "mind". Math definitely relates to the real world, our brains are part of nature and every single thought a mathematician ever had was produced/calculated by the neurons in his/her brain, a part of the universe. I am sorry for all the purists out there, but mathematics and the world are interwoven. | ||
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Elvin_vn
Vietnam2038 Posts
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ninjafetus
United States231 Posts
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